Gunmen from the Boko Haram jihadist group killed five people and abducted several others as they collected firewood in restive northeast Nigeria, security sources said Friday .
Fighters opened fire on the group as they fetched wood on Thursday outside the town of Dikwa , 90 kilometres ( 55 miles ) from the regional capital Maiduguri , an anti – jihadist militia leader , Babakura Kolo , told AFP .
” A group gathered and went outside the town to collect firewood but Boko Haram terrorists attacked them, killing five of them, ” Kolo said.
” The loggers fled and some of them were abducted by the attackers while trying to escape . ”
Dikwa is home to more than 70 , 000 people displaced by the jihadist violence who live in several camps where they rely on food and humanitarian assistance from aid agencies .
Many have turned to felling trees from the surrounding bushland to sell as firewood to make money to buy extra provisions .
The decade – long jihadist conflict has killed 36, 000 people and displaced around two million from their homes in the northeast .
Boko Haram have increasingly targeted loggers , herders, and fishermen in their violent campaign , accusing them of spying and passing information to the military and the local militia fighting them.
A rival jihadist faction has split from Boko Haram to pledge allegiance to the Islamic State group .
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